180 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



Three feet between the rows and two feet between the plants in 

 the row is as little space as should be given. 



Growers of stock beets often sprout the seed before planting, 

 and sow by hand, from five to eight pounds per acre, in a shallow 

 furrow, following a line set by a "marker," and cover with a culti- 

 vator or harrow, finally smoothing with a plank clod-crushes or 

 "rubber." 



Summer cultivation determines the character of the crop as 

 it does with sugar beets, and the best cultivators secure almost in- 

 credible weights of beets from rich, moist soils. The crop often 

 reaches twice that of sugar beets, and though the stock beets are 

 inferior in nutritive contents, the greater crop and the greater ease 

 with which large beets, growing a good part of their bulk above- 

 ground, are gathered and handled are held to compensate for their 

 less nutritive substance. 



Varieties. Of the many cattle beets of Europe three have 

 gained wide popularity in California : the Long Red Mangel, the 

 Yellow Globe Mangel, and the Golden Tankard. 



Long Red Mangel. This variety is the largest and produces 

 the heaviest crops, and is the best generally preferred by dairymen 

 and for hog feed, but it requires a deep, strong soil to do well. A 

 rich, sandy loam, a heavy black adobe or a yellow clay, will pro- 

 duce great crops of Long Red Mangels. 



Yellow Globe Mangel. This is medium in size, rutabaga 

 shaped, more solid and less watery, and is the best beet for a light, 

 shallow soil. All root crops, as stated already, require a deep, 

 moist soil, and the richer the better. But Yellow Globe Mangels 

 are recommended on a light or gravelly soil, but in such case a lib- 

 eral use should be made of old and well-rotted barn-yard manure, 

 well worked into the soil. 



Yellow Tankard Mangel. This is also called "Golden Tank- 

 ard." It is one of the most famous English varieties. It is very 

 neat and symmetrical in form cylindrical, narrowing abruptly at 

 both ends. It has yellow flesh throughout. It reaches large size, 

 but can be grown more thickly than the Long Red. 



These Yellow Mangels have gained rapidly in popularity dur- 

 in the last few years : first in southern California and now in the 

 north as well. They are better suited for calcareous soils, which are 

 very prevalent in California, and they endure drought better than 

 the Long Red. 



